Photo at right of Slender
Bog Orchid from Steamboat Mt, Gifford Pinchot N.F...........early September, 1989.
Slender coral root is a small flowered orchid of very moist places. The plant is yellowish-green to green in color. The lower leaves surround or sheath the stem, while the middle stem leaves are larger, parrallel-veined, of elliptic or rounded/obtuse shape. These maybe 30 to 100 mm long and about 10 to 30 mm wide. The uppermost leaves are reduced in size, and tend to be narrower or linear-lanceolate in shape.
The flowers are green and somewhat fragrant. The upper sepal is broadly ovate and somewhat hooded, to 5 mm long. The lower sepals are 5 to 6 mm long and broadly lanceolate in shape. The petals are fleshy and about the size of the upper sepal. The lower lip forms a scrotiform spur which is about one-half to two-thirds as long as the lip.
Slender bog orchid is found in boggy or very moist places such as springs, wet meadows, and roadside ditches.
Slender bog orchid is found from Alaska south to Alberta, then further south to northwestern New Mexico and westward to the Pacific Northwest and northern California.
In the Columbia River Gorge, it may be found between the elevations of 2600'-4300' between Crown Point in the west and Dog Mt. and Mt. Defiance in the east.
